Tell Me Tuesday: Pasta Dishes to Fuel Training Runs
This ditalini-and-white-beans recipe might well be my favorite dish. (Photo courtesy of epicurious.com)
Know how a vehicle needs the right type of gas to perform at its best? If you drive a Lexus or Volvo, fill it with Plus, while your 1997 Subaru can get along just fine on regular unleaded. I feel it’s the same with fuel for running: Sure, I can move down the road okay on some leftover BBQ chicken and salad-from-a-bag, but it’s a whole lot easier to cruise on a night-before dinner of pasta and a bit of protein.
Training for a marathon (or half-marathon, which Dimity and I are running in 2.5 weeks–hello, Disneyland Half, where I’ll be part of 2:15 pace group, and Dim will be bolstering the efforts of 2:30 runners), I’m acutely reminded of this fact weekly. In what seems like the blink of an eye, it’s, once again, Friday evening, and I have to make a dinner that’ll pack a punch for me the next morning. I thumb through my recipe box, looking for just the right recipe that’ll help me–and appeal to the four members of my family who aren’t going to burn upwards of 1,500 calories the next a.m.
Martha Stewart’s version looks a bit more swanky than mine, but mine is still powerfully tasty!
Lately I’ve been loving on pasta dishes with beans or legumes, including these two dishes. They are easy, tasty, and hearty without feeling gluttonous. Perhaps best of all: Post-run, leftovers can be nuked in a jiffy and gobbled down in that all-important “window of opportunity” for muscle recovery (the 45-60 minutes after exercise). Last Saturday I ran a strong 20 miles. When I got home, 10-year-old Phoebe was eagerly playing, “Restaurant,” so she did the heat-and-serve of the penne for me. Pasta-and-beans never tasted so sweet!
Penne with Grape Tomatoes and Mozzarella
(especially love this summery recipe because you don’t cook the “sauce”)
Ditalini with Pesto, Beans, and Broccoli Rabe
(It’s next to impossible to find broccoli rabe in Portland, so I usually sub in baby broccoli from beloved Trader Joe’s)
Since I know I’m not the only one always on the prowl for tasty new recipes, please tell us what’s your favorite fuel-a-run dinner dish.
Choices and Changes
This past week, I have not been taking responsibility for the energy I bring to the world–and into my own body. Despite connecting and laughing with 50 amazing women at the reTREAT, I came home totally sapped. Exhausted, enervated, wiped, couldn’t rally, low…call it what you want. I should call it what it is–a bad spell of the depression that I try to pretend I’m over–but I hate putting that label on myself.
Whatever it was, it was bigger than me. I felt like I’d been sucked under by a wave with a massive undertow that was pinning me to the sand. I went to bed crazy early and slept until nearly 8 every morning (that is huge for me); I could barely concentrate; I snapped at my kids and my husband (and, um, Sarah) simply because I couldn’t find another outlet for my anger; I cried often and often for no reason other than I was sick of my mood and myself.
To be fair, last week is really the culmination of a slow build. This has been a slog of a summer for me. I’m not sure why, but everything has just felt hard and hot and in slow motion.
Regardless of how I got here, something has to change. I need life to be easier and at a fluid, happy pace. And I have to be the one to take responsibility for my energy; nobody else is going to–or can–change it for me.
So I’ve made two decisions:
I decided to try the Clean program, Grant, my husband, did the three-week detox about two years ago, and I can’t tell you what an impact it had on him. When I talked to him on the phone, his tone was light and ridiculously positive. I want to feel that way, so I’m going to try it–and he’s going to do it again. The preparation week, called the elimination diet and what I’m going to start tomorrow, calls for getting rid of caffeine, alcohol, wheat and sugar. Oh, and dairy.
Which leaves me with what to eat? Quinoa and olive oil and peaches? Pretty much. Actually, there’s plenty to eat, but I have to be mindful about my choices and plan them out. (Read: no Coke Zero, Triscuits with Laughing Cow Cheese and an ice cream sandwich for lunch.) I know sugar and alcohol (and caffeine to a degree) help me climb virtual mountains, then crash me down a slope lower than when I started. I don’t need to initiate any more crashes for a while.
I definitely won’t the goodies them out of my diet forever–a life without Peanut M’n’M’s and wheat beer is a life not worth living–but the idea of rebooting my system has me excited. And Lord knows, I gotta be excited about something if I’m trading my chai latte/pb+j english muffin/kids pancake remnants/handfuls of cereal breakfast for a almond milk/pineapple/kale smoothie.
So there’s that. And in other news, I haven’t just fallen off the training wagon; I’ve tumbled off it and rolled for about a mile. I haven’t been in the pool for over 10 days, I haven’t run in a week, and I sat in the saddle about 3 times last week. My lower back and left leg have been flaring up (again) when I run, and Harvest Moon, this half-Ironman that I was so giddy about four months ago is as appealing as eating that moldy yogurt on the bottom shelf of my fridge. (Luckily, I won’t have to: no dairy for 4 weeks!)
Maybe I had a sixth sense that I’d be in this place, because I still haven’t signed up for it. But I’m not ready or willing to throw away all my training; that will make me dwell even more. So I’m going to take option AB: the AquaBike. Swim 1.2 miles, ride 56 miles and call it good. No chance to inflame the injury, no reason to survive 13.1 miles. I don’t want to start my Ironman training in the physical hole, and giving myself permission to skip the half-marathon makes me feel like that yogurt is actually still fresh and my favorite honey greek style. (But I still won’t eat it.)
I went to yoga today, on the advice of a very insightful, loving friend, who told me to just be with my breath. Stay with it for the practice. Really hard to do, but when I calmed my ricocheting mind enough to remember her words, I exhaled with purpose, and imagined that I was sending love and light to my spirit with each inhale.
I finished the hour and rested in corpse pose, staying with my breath. I drove home, feeling more hopeful than I’ve been in weeks. As I turned into my driveway, I said “I am taking responsibility for my energy.” Out loud. Just in case the universe has Sunday off. And then I took a deep inhale.
Behind the Scenes with a Race Director
ZOOMA, ZOOMA, zoom: Brae Blackley (in pink) is all smiles with a ZOOMA racer.
After Dimity recounts a recent tumultuous stay at a Wyoming dude ranch (“woah!”), she and Sarah welcome Brae Blackley, founder of the ZOOMA women’s half-marathon series, on the show. Brae, a mom of two, tells us how she morphed from being an attorney to a race director who didn’t sleep a wink the night before the first ZOOMA half. She takes us behind the scenes to explain race logistics, like permits and water stops. And Brae tells us how ZOOMA personnel handle it when “a person with a penis” (Sarah’s poetic term!) runs one of her overwhelmingly female competitions.
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A reTREAT to Remember
California girls may be unforgettable, but Minnesota girls run things.
[Note: Instead of having Sarah or I write about the reTREAT we attended last weekend, four BAMR’s offered to fill you in. We couldn’t say no.]
Be someone on whom nothing is lost.
Those were the words from Jess’s mom before the four of us—running buddies from St. Paul, Minnesota —left for the Kingston Adventures Women’s Trail Running, Yoga & Stand Up Paddleboard ReTREAT near Seattle. We were on a girl’s weekend, halfway across the country, to do what we love (running) and to try something new (SUP). The icing on the cake: goodies from generous sponsors like Oiselle, RecoFit, GoLite Footwear and AMR.
Yep, hard not to get comfy in this setting.
Admittedly we were a little anxious; it’s hard to say what will happen when you bring fifty women together. But that feeling quickly faded within hours of us arriving, as we all chatted and relaxed by the pool, soaking in the beautiful view of the Puget Sound. It’s easy to make fast friends with like-minded women.
Our fearless leader, Beth Brewster, telling us about the ceremony.
As the sun started to set, we settled in for the goal ceremony. One by one, we stated our goals, lit a candle and set it afloat in a bowl of water. There were many firsts: a first marathon, a first half, a first tri, the Olympic Trials. There were PR goals for upcoming races. And those who wanted to reclaim their lives and bodies after having children. And there were goals that despite what we were each uniquely striving for, resonated with us all: “I want to train smarter”; “I don’t want to be so hard on myself”; “I want to cross the finish line and feel proud of my accomplishment”; “I want to stop comparing myself to others.”
One Sarah setting goals–and taking names.
We cheered and clapped as each woman shared hers goal. For some, the words seemed to come easy, for others, the emotions were so strong, tears were inevitable. We could feel the support and the connection between each of us get stronger; Jess’ mom’s words were in our back pockets. A near full moon rose over the horizon just as the last candle was lit; Beth Brewster, the founder of the retreat, was sharing her goal: getting over the fear of swimming with sharks so she could compete in the World Championships of the Ultraman. A little–or quite a bit, actually–of inspiration to lead us into the weekend.
Another Sarah setting her intentions for 2013.
The good vibes continued on Saturday morning. We encouraged each other as we steadied ourselves on our paddleboards for boot camp (no, not a typo: boot camp on a paddle board). Holding a plank didn’t seem so hard when floating in the Puget Sound. The six-mile trail run flew by thanks to our new friends, the new scenery and the soft ground below our feet. There were cheers, high fives, and, thankfully, water as we crested “Vom”–short for Vomit, which is an accurate description— Hill. And collectively we held our breath as a deer joined us for our afternoon outdoor yoga session.
Flat, tranquil waters despite the big engines in the background.
It’s hard to describe well, but it’s just magical when women from such diverse places in life can come together and share the same experience. Conversation and laughter flowed freely, support was given unconditionally, and acceptance came naturally. We could relate to each other’s stories of setbacks and comebacks.
These ladies didn’t mention the dancing: a little Bollywood, a little Burlesque…
…a lot of fun. Especially in calf sleeves.
At the close of the reTREAT we SUP’d out to a peninsula to catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier. It’s like a magic trick, an optical illusion: you can’t imagine there’s a mountain just around the corner, but once you reach the point, it appears, melting into the sky. We sat on the sand bar, almost tearful, as the quote from Jess’s mom resonated with us: “Be someone on whom nothing is lost.”
Not lost on us: these Minnesota girls love their pyramids. (And quote from Sarah: “I think I missed my calling as a bottom row pyramid girl.”)
The whole weekend was not lost on us: a beautiful setting, the support of our families who encourage journeys like this, our capable bodies and (usually) determined minds. The twists in life that brought the four of us together and the good fortune that brought us to Kingston for this amazing weekend. The four of us have never laughed so hard, supported each other so much or have felt so inspired.
One strong looking group of women!
As we reflect back on the weekend we are also grateful for Beth Brewster, for bringing us together and giving us a forum to continue to support each other and for Sarah and Dimity for connecting us to a whole world of women runners. Each of us who left that weekend didn’t leave alone: we all left with the strength and inspiration of the fifty of us combined.
xox
Steph, Jess, Amy and Jo
Other Mother Runners in Our Tees
We all “heart” running–and each other.
As much as I love my running buddy Heidi, seeing her image wallpapered across our Another Mother Runner store had gotten to be a little much. Dimity and I decided to recruit a bunch of other mother runners to model our wares. The women to use was a no-brainer: a group of moms in Vancouver, Wash., just across the river from Portland. As I said in the acknowledgments of Train Like a Mother: How to Get Across Any Finish Line – and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity
, I love the vibrant spirit of these women, including Megan, Ashley, Audrey, and Meredith. (Plus I pulled Amanda up from Portland. I’m crazy about her, too!) Lucky for us, one of them–Eryn Kesler–is a talented portrait photographer.
So two Fridays ago, a group of us assembled in a grassy meadow under low, silvery clouds for a photo shoot, complete with 10 frolicking children.
We felt a bit like the Pied Piper, having this gaggle of children following us around.
As you might expect, this was a no-frills shoot–no changing room, make-up artist, hair stylist, photographer’s assistant, or hovering publicist. Just us gals, in a field, laughing it up. The beauty of these mothers shined brightly. Take a look at the results, as well as a few of the photos.
Mom of three Amanda (of the runninghood blog), who qualified last month for the 2013 Boston Marathon.
Megan, a mom of two who used the power of prayer to help her through the Missoula Marathon last month.
Ashley, who has two children, recently got cleared to resume running after back problems had sidelined her for months.
We got mom of three Eryn onto the other side of the camera for this lovely shot.
Love the photo-of-a-photo effect for a (partial) group shot (yes, including me on the end)
Looking at these images makes me smile–and Dimity and I would love to see photos of other mother runners sporting our tees. We created a Pinterest board of photos from this shoot, and we want to add photos of you on it. You racing in a badass mother runner tank, you kicking back in a heart run tee, or you showing who’s the boss in a I run things tee.
If you have a link to an image of you sporting one of our shirts, please email us at runmother [at] gmail [dot] com. (Sorry: We can’t post jpegs you send us–it has to be a link to a photo of you on the web, given the way Pinterest works. E.g. you on your blog works dandy.) Then we’ll post it on our Other Mother Runners in Our Tees Pinterest board. Anyone who sends a link to a photo of herself–or friends–wearing one of our tees gets entered into a drawing to win an another mother runner tee.
We want the Pinterest board to be a virtual party of mother runners. Join us!